In a dramatic step toward full transparency, President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is moving to unseal long-buried grand jury records from the Jeffrey Epstein case — a move many believe could finally expose the full scope of a network that has remained hidden for decades.

The motion, filed Friday in Manhattan federal court by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, urges a judge to release grand jury transcripts from Epstein’s 2019 sex trafficking case and the prosecution of his convicted associate Ghislaine Maxwell. The action comes directly under the orders of Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has pledged to bring accountability to what she calls “one of the darkest scandals in modern American history.”

Citing “intense public interest,” the DOJ argued that transparency in the Epstein matter is not only warranted, but overdue.

“Transparency for the American public is of the utmost importance to this Administration,” the filing states. “The time for the public to guess what [these documents] contain should end.”

The move follows the department’s release earlier this month of a bombshell internal memo reviewing its Epstein-related investigations. That memo, dated July 6, claimed that no additional evidence was found to justify prosecuting further individuals. But critics were quick to note that public trust in those findings remains fragile without full disclosure.

Now, the DOJ is taking the next step by seeking the court’s approval to lift protective orders and unseal the grand jury records. To protect the privacy of victims, all identifying information will be redacted.

“Transparency in this process will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims,” the motion emphasizes.

Epstein was indicted on July 2, 2019, for sex trafficking of minors. He was found dead in his jail cell just over a month later under circumstances that many Americans still question. His longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, was later charged, convicted, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Her conviction was upheld on appeal earlier this year, though she is now appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Federal law generally keeps grand jury proceedings sealed, but courts have made clear that there are exceptions — especially in cases with “major public or historical value.” According to the DOJ, the Epstein investigation meets that standard in full.

“The facts of Epstein’s case tell a tale of national disgrace,” the motion quotes from a Florida judge’s previous ruling, which authorized the partial release of Epstein grand jury materials in a related matter. That judge also called Epstein “the most infamous pedophile in American history.”

While some officials have long warned against unsealing such records, the DOJ says the unique notoriety and unresolved questions surrounding Epstein’s death and alleged criminal network justify breaking precedent.

“Public officials, lawmakers, pundits, and ordinary citizens remain deeply interested and concerned about the Epstein matter,” the DOJ said, adding that the financier’s death has “substantially diminished” any remaining privacy concerns on his behalf.

Although Maxwell is still appealing her case, federal prosecutors argue that “special circumstances” allow the grand jury records to be made public now — particularly given the overwhelming bipartisan demand for answers.

If approved by the court, the release would mark the first time the American people are allowed full access to what prosecutors presented to a grand jury in what may be the most consequential sex trafficking case in U.S. history.

The DOJ’s move comes just weeks after President Trump posted on Truth Social that he had instructed Attorney General Bondi to ensure no part of the Epstein cover-up remains hidden from the American people.